Snap mechanical movement



April 9, 1957 R. H. KIRKHOF SNAP MECHANICAL MOVEMENT Filed May 24, 1956 INVENTOR! Ru'sse/ H. K/rkhof United States Patent SNAP MECHANICAL MOVEMENT Russel H. Kirkhof, Lamont, Mich.

Application May 24, 1956, Serial No. 587,068

Claims. (Cl. 74-100) The present invention relates to a snap action mechanical. movement of a particularly simple and effective construction, which is adapted to be used in many installations where on manually turning about an axis the initiation of the turning will be yieldingly spring resisted for the initial portion of the movement and, after passing an intermediate point in the turning movement, the force of the resisting spring means will complete the movement quickly and rapidly. Devices made in accordance with my invention may be used in make and break switches in electric circuits, and have been used by me in connection with dispensing devices of the type shown in my Patent No. 2,741,403, issued April 10, 1956.

It is an object and purpose of the present invention to provide a simple, effective and novel structure for attaining such quick action snap movement, such structure being readily economically manufactured and assembled and having certainty in operation.

An understanding of the invention may be had from the following description, taken in, connection with the accompanying drawing, in which,

Fig. 1 is an inner end elevation of a preferred structure embodying my invention, portions of the support upon which the turning member is mounted being fragmentarily shown.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section and partial side elevation substantially on the plane of line 22 of Fig. l with the snap turning element of my invention at intermediate position.

Fig. 3 is a section taken upon the diagonally located plane of line 33 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction indicated, and

Fig. 4 is an elevation and partial transverse section showing the structure utilized in connection with a make and break switch of an electric circuit.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures of the drawing.

In the embodiment shown of my invention, a plate 1 or other support has a rectangular opening 2 therethrough, shown as square in the disclosure. Through such opening a generally U-shaped member of spring wire rod, having spaced legs 3 and 4 integrally connected at their inner ends by a bend 5, passes so that intermediate portions of the legs 3 and 4 are against the sides or are located in diagonally opposite corners of said opening 2. The outer portions of the legs 3 and 4 are return bent in loops 6 which terminate in outwardly flaring terminal portions 7 best shown in Fig. 2.

A turning knob 8 has a slot 9 therein centrally located which receives the loops 6 and the terminal ends 1 thereof, the outwardly flared parts 7 at their ends having a tendency to penetrate or gouge into the material of the knob. Such knob at its inner end may be provided with an annular flange 10 which will enter a circular groove 11 in the face of the plate or panel 1, though such specific structure is not essential to the invention.

In the operation with the legs 3 and 4 located in diago- "ice nally opposite corners of the opening 2 as in Figs. 1 and 3, such legs will bear against the sides of the opening at such corners, the normal spacing of the legs 3 and 4 being such that when thus diagonally located they will bear with light pressure against the opening 2 at such corners. On turning the knob 8 the legs 3 and 4 will be strained and pressed toward each other as in Fig. 2. The bending and straining of the legs 3 and 4 is yieldingly resisted by them because of the yielding spring material of which made. On reaching what may be termed the dead center plane, as in Fig. 2, upon passing such plane the spring force generated by such bending of the legs 3 and 4 toward each other acts to automatically and quickly complete the turning of the rotatably movable element described until the legs 3 and 4 occupy the other two corners of the opening 2. There is a quick snap completion movement of the turning of such member after passing such dead center plane.

As previously mentioned the structure described is available for use in connection with dispensing devices shown in my above mentioned patent. In Fig. 4, a post 12 is connected with the plate or panel 1 to which one end of a circuit wire 13 is attached. Such post 12 carries a yielding metal spring contact 14 which is bent from its normally straight position, indicated in dashed lines in Fig. 4, to the full line position in such figure when a leg, as leg 3, is brought against such yielding contact 14 for completing an electric circuit which is grounded on the metallic loop member having the legs 3 and 4. On turning the member by such snap movement the contact 14 will follow leg 3 to the dead center plane in which legs 3 and 4 are bowed toward each other and, in Fig. 4, will be vertically aligned, after which the instant snap movement will move such leg 3 away from the contact 14 preventing arcing or any other undesired happening.

It is of course apparent with the structure shown in Fig. 4 that the knob 8 may be turning continuously in the same direction and engagement with the contact 14 will be alternately by the legs 3 and 4. With such structure also the turning of such member may be first in one direction and then reversed without a completion of a full rotation. The switch structure shown in Fig. 4 is one only of an indefinite number of such switches which can be devised utilizing the simple eiiective apparatus of my invention.

The invention is defined in the appended claims and is to be considered comprehensive of all forms of structure coming within their scope.

I claim:

1. In combination, a support having a rectangular opening therethrough, a member of spring material having spaced legs connected at one end of each leg passing through said opening, said legs of said member being normally spaced from each other a distance greater than the distance between opposite sides of said opening, and a manually engageable means connected to the end of said member opposite said connection of said legs for turning said member about its longitudinal axis.

2. In combination, a generally plate-like support having a substantially square opening therethrough, a member of yielding spring-like material bent between its end into generally U-shape, having spaced legs integrally con nected at one of the ends of said legs, said member passing through said opening, said legs normally being spaced a distance so as to press against the boundary of said opening at diagonally opposite corners thereof, and yielding on turning said member about its longitudinal axis to move said legs of the member from two of said diagonally opposite corners to the remaining two corners of said opening, and means for turning said member rotatively about its longitudinal axis.

of said legs are inserted, said legs being normally spaced apart a distance greater than the distance between opposite sides of said opening.

4. In combination, a plate support of predetermined thickness having a rectangular opening therethrongh, an elongated member passing through said opening having inwardly yielding sides, said sides resisting turning of said member about its longitudinal axis, but yielding to permit said turning, and means connected to said mem- 15 her for force application thereto to turn said member about its longitudinal axis.

5. In combination, a support of predetermined thickness having an opening therethrough, said opening having sides disposed at an angle to next adjacent sides with corners at the junctures of the ends of the sides of said opening, an elongated member passing through said opening having inwardly yielding sides adapted to be located in opposite corners of said opening and yieldingly resisting turning movement of the member, said sides of the member yielding to permit said turning, and means connected to said member for force application thereto to turn said member about its longitudinal axis.

No references cited. 

